Immunotherapy takes cells from a person’s immune system, then modifies them in a laboratory to help them recognize and kill cancer cells. T cells are a type of immune cell that normally help the body to recognize and attack cells that don’t belong, like cells infected with viruses, bacteria, or have become cancerous. They do this by recognizing little bits of protein that have previously been shown to them in a way that helps them know that the cells are not healthy and do not belong in the body. TScan is working on methods to improve the ability of T cells to recognize and kill cancer cells more efficiently. There are different types of T cell therapies, and some have been approved for the treatment of specific cancers by regulatory agencies. Other types of T cell therapies, including those being evaluated by TScan, are considered investigational, which means that people can only get them by participating in a clinical trial as they are not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or other regulatory agencies, and their safety and efficacy have not been established. The scientific process to develop them and initial safety in human tissue and animals has been evaluated by the FDA through an investigational new drug clearance, meaning they have stated it is safe to start testing in people.

TScan has clinical trials for patients with different types of cancer. One clinical trial is for patients with certain types of solid tumors like head and neck cancer, ovarian cancer, and melanoma, a type of skin cancer. A different clinical trial is for people who have certain types of blood cancers and are having a bone marrow transplant.